The two-time Bellator tournament veteran has gone the distance in
less than one third of his 26 pro outings and rides an eight-fight
winning streak into his sophomore appearance for World Series of
Fighting.

On Saturday, “Insane” will look to maintain his momentum when he
meets unbeaten prospect Lance
Palmer for the vacant WSOF featherweight title in the WSOF
7 headliner. The event airs live on NBC Sports Network from PNE
Agrodome in Vancouver, British Columbia, and marks the Las
Vegas-based organization’s Canadian debut.

“I know Palmer comes from a good wrestling background and trains
with a good team, but at the end of the day, it’s an MMA fight, and
so once that door is locked, it doesn’t matter,” Karakhanyan said
during Tuesday’s media conference call. “It’s not a wrestling
match. I don’t mind getting punched in the face, and I don't mind
punching him back. I’m just looking to go out there and put on an
exciting fight for the Canadian fans, and I’m going for a
finish.”

Karakhanyan was originally slated to face Rick Glenn
for the vacant title, but Glenn withdrew from their matchup last
month. WSOF officials called upon Team Alpha Male’s Palmer, the
reigning Resurrection Fighting Alliance titleholder, to face
Karakhanyan in the main event after Mike Kyle’s
broken toe scrapped his planned light heavyweight headliner
opposite Anthony
Johnson.

Karakhanyan, 28, has enjoyed arguably the most productive stretch
of his career since receiving his Bellator release, finishing five
of his eight victims and winning the Tachi Palace Fights
featherweight belt in the process. The Russian-born fighter most
recently competed on Sept. 14, choking out UFC veteran Waylon Lowe
with a first-round guillotine choke at WSOF 5.

“I think I’ve just learned how to win fights and how to break my
opponents. I used to go into a fight and try to finish right away,
and if I didn’t, then I would get discouraged,” said Karakhanyan.
“I’ve learned from it. I’m in the gym every day unless I’m
over-trained or sick. I’m always trying to learn [more] and work on
my weaknesses. I’m just learning how to perform under the bright
lights once that door locks and all the people are watching."

A four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Ohio State, Palmer made
his MMA debut in 2011 and is considered one of the best
featherweight prospects in the sport. For “The Party,” who remains
undefeated through seven pro outings, Karakhanyan likely poses the
biggest threat of his young career.

While Palmer’s process in securing a WSOF title berth has been
unconventional, the featherweight said he is nevertheless
well-prepared for his Saturday showdown with Karakhanyan.

“It has been a pretty crazy month. Everything has happened pretty
quickly with the signing and the world title fight,” said Palmer.
“I was in between contracts with another promotion, and I had a
good couple of calls with the WSOF guys. Things just progressed
from there. Rick Glenn
had to pull out of his fight, and they gave me the opportunity to
step in on four weeks’ notice. It’s been an exciting and fun
process so far.”